April 21, 2003
OSAKA, JAPAN-Ex-world challenger and OPBF top 115-pound contender Eiji Kojima (8-1, 2 KOs), 118, kept circling and outboxing to avert mixing up with OPBF #2 ranked Thai national champ Waenpetch Chuwatana (12-3-1, 11 KOs), winning a unanimous decision (98-92, 99-93 and 98-93) over 10 in Osaka, Japan.
Despite onesided tallies it wasnft such an easy fight for Kojima a la Mayweather vs. Sosa bout. Kojima kept moving to-and-fro and refused to exchange punches with Chuwatana, who had dropped the currently WBC #10 ranked OPBF champ Hideyasu Ishihara to hold him to a hard-fought draw in 2001. Aware of trailing on points, the Thailander desperately attempted to score a knockout in the final session, but Kojima rode a bicycle to avoid his go-for-broke attack. Kojima had failed to win the WBA 115-pund belt only to be flattened by Venezuelan Alexander Munoz in two rounds last year.
Thai national fly champ Phisesh Vor Surapol (15-8, 2 KOs), 115, was disqualified because of repeatedly hitting with open blows and shouting when punching, losing to unheralded and mediocre Japanese Kazuhiro Matsuda (5-4-5, no KO), 115, at 1:12 of the 7th.
Promoter: Kanazawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(4-21-03)